Is there anybody who can help me as I want to know if one can make their own stencils for FMQ?

I've been wondering if you couldn't use the stencils for painting on walls. Haven't tried them yet. They seem to be made for long lines which might be good for quilting.

Have to see if I can talk someone out of one.

Don't laugh, but I am seriously thinking of trying to make a right angle type holder for a pointer that will stick out past my sewing machine arm so I can use it to invisibly "trace" a pattern that I will tape to the rolled up portion of the quilt.

Did any of that make sense?? I can see it in my mind but would have a heck of a time explaing it to my husband.

I have read that some people use gold seal found in the kitchen paper section of the supermarket.... I can't remmeber and a google doesn't bring it up what it is used for in the kitchen....
I know it can be purchased in the USA.
Hopefully someone on here can be a bit more helpful. I am trying to remember the brand name.
It was a New Zealand person purchasing it ....I think it was on this site.
It was press and seal not gold seal.

FMQ means just that..FREE motion quilting...there is NO stencils, pantographs, or lines to follow....if you use stencils, goldenthreads paper, press-n-seal, etc. then you are just machine quilting. Meaning you followed a pattern and did not free motion(free style quilt).

There are many ways to do this, including making REAL plastic templates that you use to trace the design onto the quilt. Sort spendy, especially if you are not going to use the design over and over!

many prefer the papers though.
There is some already preprinted basic designs, or you buy the Electric quilt companys CD's and print off thousands of designs in hundreds of sizes, you can buy books from Laura Lee Fritz and trace the designs onto your quilt, you can get golden threads paper and trace the designs onto that and then sew over them.

so many ways....

Press-n-seal was thought to be great, but in the end many found it gummed up their needles, dulled the needles, did not play well all thread types, etc, etc...best to use a product that is meant for this purpose and save yourself some frustration in the end!

long ago I bought a double blade holder to do stencils. I never made any though.

I've done that. I traced the stencil pattern with a Crayola washable market to Sulky Solvy and pinned it to the quilt. Stitch on the lines, then remove the bulk of the Sulky Solvy. The rest washes out in the laundry.

sure you can :thumbup:
around here the lqs' carry template plastic, i draw my design on paper, lay the template plastic over it, trace it with a permenent marker (micron or sharpie) then i use a cutting board under the plastic and carefully cut out my stencil with a craft knife--i have a really nice xacto craft knife set with different blades...works great :thumbup: :thumbup:

this is a great way to make your own...I also have a heated tool that cuts them, but it won't work mylar, only on plastic! Do you cut the entire line, or just segments of it? can you show us a pix of one that you have done?

Yes you can make your own stencils. You use a double blade knife (made by Olfa but no long manufactured) and a flexible plastic. check www.quiltingstencils.com You can make them with a single blade knif but the double is much faster and easier. The plastic is available by the foot and is about 18" wide. It is difficult to cut on stiffer plastic. I wrote an article for the Fon's and Porter Mag that included some instructions but The Stencil Co has a sheet that gives instructions.

Yes it does, and you certainly can! I love making things of my own. I make many, many things for my longarm, and have made so many that a couple have spread across the web like wildfire!

I'd consider trying this for an overview of what you're thinking to see how it would work: You can take a yard stick, tape it on top of your machine, and then see how you'd position a laser on it. Tape it? Drill a hole just big enough to hold the laser, padded with tape/fabric if necessary? What if you have to attach it to the back of your machine? (I'd sure make it temporary/removable!) Maybe attach it to one of the tall cone holders? One thing I would think about in advance is the size of the pattern you'll be wanting to trace...6" or 12" or 16"? This means whatever holds your laser must stick out at least this far...just something to consider. You can do this!

Go for it! Just a little time invested, and very little money if you have stuff around the house. I've done this on my longarm, to use a pattern from the front with a laser. It works just fine!

Let us know how it goes!
Debbie in Austin

Yeah - I found it hard to use. And I have a heat tool to melt them, but also didn't find it was exactly easy...but it is doable.

I think sewing through paper and making a pattern you can 'pounce' on is pretty easy - so is marking with a water-soluable pen. I simply never found an easy method to make stencils for me - but I have weakened hands due to an illness, so I'm sure this is a factor.

Debbie in Austin

Okay, then how would you do a free style pattern over your quilt in FMQ?

I thought I saw on- I think the Fons Porter show- where a lady was long arm quilting and used thick plastic templates to help make different designs on her quilt

Are you wanting to make a permanent stencil to then chalk or somehow mark the lines onto the quilt? Or are you just wanting to follow a line on a quilt? For permanent stencils you could just cut a design in some form of plastic or even use freezer paper or construction paper which you can run through some printers to make it even easier. Then a sharp small exacto type knife to cut the marks or run an unthreaded sewing machine over it to make the holes to pounce or mark through. If you're trying to stuff an entire quilt through a sit down sewing machine--only mark a small section at a time.

You can also just print or trace your design onto a very light weight stabilizer (Sulky Solvy mentioned above) or even thin paper and just rip it off later.

The Press 'n' Seal stuff didn't work well for me. It didn't all come off and little bits get stuck under the thread. I prefer to use the tissue paper for gift wrapping and then just pin it on or use painters tape. Vellum will also work & can run through a printer but is expensive. I got the tissue paper at the dollar store in a bundle.

You may laugh but even toilet tissue or kleenex would work for smaller designs. Oh, and I prefer to use a green ballpoint ink pen to trace the design because it's much easier to wash out if it somehow gets transferred to the quilt. Something about the composition of green ink makes it unstable so it never really bonds to whatever it's on.

Just found "how to make a stencil" in one of my quilting mags. Trace design onto blank paper........put bridal tulle into an embroidery hoop.........trace design onto tulle with a permanent marker............leaving tulle in hoop place in desired position on quilt.............trace design onto quilt with a washable fabric marker of your choice.

This seems to work on all but the darkest fabrics. So much easier that cutting out plastic.

There is a product called DMK plastic. You can draw on it and then needle punch it with your sewing machine. You can then use Pounce to transfer the pattern.

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

free style means just that...you free style it...what ever comes out of your head shows up in the movements you make with the machine!

meaning you will never really have a very clear "pattern" going on, but more of a random doodling in a way!

Perhaps you can understand what I am trying to say by watching this
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

Gee thanks for that....I will certainly give it a go. :thumbup:

Thanks for your help :thumbup: . I found the website you recommended very helpful indeed. :D :D

I think her little quilted designs are a lot of inspiration and fun!

Do have fun playing around and enjoy the process!

Free motion quilting is not just doing it without a marked pattern to follow. It is quilting with the feed dogs down and you move the fabric yourself. You can do it freestyle w/out a line to follow, as well as with marked lines. I have made my own stencils using template plastic and a woodburning tool (outside so I don't hurt myself with the fumes). Make sure leave bridges in the plastic so you don't have whole pieces falling off! Pepper Cory has a great book on marking quilts where she talks about lots of ways to make stencils. See if your library has it or can get it for you.

This sounds great and just what I seek to do. Have you got the book you mentioned that would also be of value and if so....a bit more info of the book would be great beore I start looking for it on line.

Sorry, I was just thumbing through my many old and new quilt magazines when I saw this. (I have stacks of them) It was just a page with the information I sent with a picture of the hoop with the tulle in it. Good luck trying this.

I agree that I have always seen FMQ referencing anytime the feed dogs are down and you are moving the fabric...either with or without a pattern/stencil, etc.

Tried that, didn't work for me, but if it works for you I'd love to hear how you made out.

I'm with you here on the definition of free motion quilting...you are free of the constraints of the feed dogs...to stitch with or without a marked pattern. I've made stencils with a dremel and stencil burner...prefer the dremel.